FAISALABAD, Nov 8: Police rounded up nearly 57 activists and supporters, including a PPP member of the provincial assembly, in a crackdown started late on Wednesday night.
The crackdown called ‘secret operation’ by police was launched after PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto hardened her party stance against the imposition of state of emergency.
Sources said police officials were directed by the high-ups to net all leaders and activists of the party as early as possible. Subsequently, supervisory police officers and SHOs raided the residences, outhouses and job places and businesses of PPP leaders and workers in their respective jurisdiction.
City PPP president Mehmoodul Hasan Dar told Dawn that police raided various houses of the party leaders and workers and detained more than 50 people, including MPA Malik Asghar Ali and former MNA Shahadat Ali Baloch.
He said police barged into the houses of party members by scaling walls with the help of ladders. He claimed police misbehaved with women and thrashed males, if any, they could lay hand on.
GUJRANWALA: Police arrested 125 opposition activists, a majority of them belonging to PPP.
Among the arrested were Dr Zafar Chaudhry, an aspirant for NA-97 (PPP), Ashfaq Gujjar, nazim of Katcha Fatumand UC and Tehrik-i-Insaaf district president Anser Natt. PML-N workers were also held.
MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Nearly 50 PPP activists were detained and hunt for more was on. The arrested include city vice president Abdul Shakoor.
SIALKOT: As many as 96 PPP activists (66 from Sialkot and 30 from Narowal) were picked up during a massive crackdown.
Among them were Haji Mushtaq Mughal, city PPP general secretary, Ch Jamil Akhtar, Daska Bar president & Sialkot district general secretary.
LAYYAH: The district police rounded up 14 PPP workers, including the district president.
Among them was district president Abdul Majeed Bhutta.
Police also raided the house of former MNA Ghulam Fareed and took away his son Amir Fareed when they did not find him there.
Kot Sultan police arrested three PPP activists. Similarly, Karor Lal Essan police and Fatehpur police apprehended three activists each.
BAHAWALPUR: Police arrested 14 office-bearers and activists of PPP.
The arrested include Muhammed Aslam, city president, Abdul Waheed, general secretary, Sami Shaheen, information secretary, Muhammed Sajid, youth wing president, all from Khairpur Tamewali, and Ghulam Farid, general secretary of Uch Sharif
JHANG: Ten PPP leaders and workers were detained from different parts of the district.
Prominent among them were Shorkot PPP president Naeemullah Ather Advocate, Chiniot general secretary Sarfraz Jappa, Shorkot Cantt president Warris Koda, district VP Shaukat Sehgal’s son Mukhtar Sehgal.
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